A.P. Psychology Summer Project 2015
Mrs. Hernandez
(Adapted from an assignment from the AP Psychology Teacher’s Manual through the AP College Board and
Kristin Whitlock, Viewmont High School, Bountiful, Utah)
Welcome to AP Psychology! I am thrilled to have you in class next year. Please review below the summer
requirement for this course.
This course has been designed to help you prepare for and pass the A.P. Psychology exam which you will
be taking May 2, 2016. During the school year it is my hope to provide you with a working knowledge of the
theories, personalities, and important terms in psychology.
To provide you with a solid foundation for success in this course and to discover the great diversity of this
field, you are to read selected sections from Forty Studies That Changed Psychology. PDF versions of
the articles can be located at http://yhernandez.wikispaces.com/AP+Psychology
Your summer project is geared towards investigating some of the most influential psychological research to
date. The historical studies discussed in this text continue to be cited, stirred up controversy when first
published, directed new research, and changed our understanding of human behavior.
Please follow the listed format and requirements in completing your project. Read the instructions carefully.
NO GROUP WORK is allowed. If you have any questions about these requirements, contact me as soon
as possible at Hernandez.y@easthartford.org
As we will be using the information from your summer project immediately it is DUE the FIRST DAY OF
CLASS. Please bring your project (article summaries and reflection paper) AND your photocopies of Forty
Studies That Changed Psychology with you on the first day of class. If you would like the opportunity to
score an extra 10 points submit the written assignment as an attachment to Hernandez.y@easthartford.org
by Monday, August 10, 2015.
Please keep in mind that if you do not have your summer project completed on the first day of class, you will
be asked to withdraw from A.P. Psychology.
PART I: Reading Assignment
I. Forty Studies That Changed Psychology is divided into ten sections. You are required to read ALL10
studies.
Biology & Human Behavior: “Are you a Natural?”
Consciousness: “To Sleep, no doubt to dream.”
Learning & Conditioning: “It’s not just about salivating dogs”
Intelligence, Cognition & Memory : “What you expect is what you get”
Human Development: “How moral are you?”
Personality: “Are you the master of your fate?”
Psychopathology: “Who’s crazy here, anyway?”
Psychotherapy: “Projections of who you are”
Social Psychology: “A prison by another name”
“To help or not to help”
II. Summarize each article. Follow the format below. Be sure to answer EACH question. This section must
be typed.
1.What question was the researcher trying to answer?
2.Summarize the research methods used and results of the study.
3.Discuss ONE example of the significance of the study OR ONE criticism directed toward the
research.
4.Discuss ONE example of subsequent research in this area OR recent applications of this study.
5.What did you learn? Were you surprised by the results? Did this study challenge any of your
previous beliefs? Explain.
PART II: Reflection Paper
Everyone has a preconceived notion about what “psychology” is. Through the readings of the different
articles I hoped to introduce you to many of the major figures from the past and the great diversity that exists
in research interests. Now, I would like you to reflect upon what you have learned about psychology thus far.
Please write a reflection paper that addresses the following questions.
• Before you did any of the reading, what did you think psychology was? What did you think
psychologists do? What kind of topics did you believe psychologists are interested in?
• Did your views change after you finished reading? If so, how? If your views were unchanged,
explain why.
• What studies did you find most interesting or surprising? What did they teach you that you didn’t
know before? Why do those studies stand out to you?
• Do you believe any of the studies were unethical? Explain.
• What do you want to learn in our class? What areas are of greatest interest to you? Why?
Your reflection paper should be 3-5 pages (MUST BE typed, double-spaced). Use specific examples from
the readings to illustrate your reflections. This paper is to be written “free form” so you do not need to follow
a traditional 5 paragraph paper, but please be sure I can tell which question (from above) is being answered.
Grading
Notes and reflection papers will be graded on clarity of thought, quality of ideas, and completeness (Do your
notes reflect a thorough reading of the article? Did you address all of the questions asked above?).
Article Summaries: 150 points (15 points each article)
Reflection paper: 25 points (5 points each question)
175 points total